Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.
Gcina unyawo lwakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu; sondelela ukulalela kulokunikela umhlatshelo wezithutha, ngoba kazazi ukuthi zenza okubi.
2 Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.
Ungabi lamawala ngomlomo wakho, lenhliziyo yakho ingaphangisi ukukhupha ilizwi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu usemazulwini, wena-ke usemhlabeni, ngakho amazwi akho kawabe malutshwana.
3 For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
Ngoba iphupho liza ngobunengi bomsebenzi, lelizwi lesithutha ngobunengi bamazwi.
4 When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest — complete.
Lapho ufunga isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusikhokha, ngoba kakulantokozo kuziwula; khokha lokho okufungileyo.
5 Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.
Kungcono ukuthi ungafungi kulokuthi ufunge ungakhokhi.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it [is] an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukuthi wenze inyama yakho yone, futhi ungatsho phambi kwengilosi ukuthi bekuyisiphosiso; uNkulunkulu uzathukuthelelani ilizwi lakho, achithe umsebenzi wezandla zakho?
7 For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.
Ngoba ebunengini bamaphupho lamazwi kukhona lokuyize okunengi, kodwa mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
Uba ubona ucindezelo lomyanga lokuphanjulwa kokulunga lesahlulelo ngodlakela esabelweni, ungamangali ngalinto, ngoba ophezulu kophezulu uyananzelela, njalo kulabaphezulu phezu kwabo.
9 And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
Lenzuzo yomhlabathi ngeyabo bonke; inkosi isetshenzelwa yinsimu.
10 Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.
Othanda imali kayikweneliswa yimali, njalo othanda okunengi kayikweneliswa yikwanda; lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
Ekwandeni kokuhle, bayanda abakudlayo; njalo kulenzuzo bani kubanini bakho, ngaphandle kokukubuka ngamehlo abo?
12 Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi loba sisidla okulutshwana loba okunengi; kodwa ukusutha kwesinothi kakusivumeli ukulala.
13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
Kukhona ububi obubuhlungu esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga: Inotho egcinelwe abaniniyo kube yibubi kibo.
14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
Kodwa leyonotho ichitheka ngomsebenzi omubi: Esezala umntwana, kungaselalutho esandleni sakhe.
15 As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.
Njengokuphuma kwakhe esiswini sikanina, uzabuyela eze ehamba njengokuza kwakhe; njalo kayikuthatha lutho lomtshikatshika wakhe angahamba lalo esandleni sakhe.
16 And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage [is] to him who laboureth for wind?
Lokhu lakho kuyibubi obubuhlungu, kukho konke njengokufika kwakhe ngokunjalo uzahamba. Njalo ulenzuzo bani owatshikatshikela umoya?
17 Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
Njalo insuku zakhe zonke udlela emnyameni, elosizi olukhulu, lomkhuhlane wakhe, lokuthukuthela?
18 Lo, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it [is] his portion.
Khangela, engikubonileyo mina, kulungile okuhle ukudla lokunatha lokubona okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshikayo ngaphansi kwelanga, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona, ngoba kuyisabelo sakhe.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God.
Laye wonke umuntu, uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo, wamnika amandla okudla kukho, lokuthatha isabelo sakhe, lokuthokoza emtshikatshikeni wakhe - lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
Ngoba kayikukhumbula kakhulu insuku zempilo yakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu umphendula ngentokozo yenhliziyo yakhe.
